Six


Nancy let out a sigh as her cell phone buzzed yet again from where it was sitting on the coffee table. She knew without even looking at it that it was Frank. He'd been calling her nonstop for the last hour and a half, but Nancy just couldn't muster up the willpower to answer it, afraid of what she would say if she did.

She still couldn't believe that he had lied to her. It would have been okay if it was a harmless little lie, like forgetting to put the check for the utility bill in the mail and then saying it must have gotten lost when it was in his car the entire time. That, she could have easily forgiven.

But lying to her about Wesley?

It cut through her so deeply, she was sure she was slowly bleeding to death. At least, that was what it felt like to her. Taking an actual knife and cutting into her skin would have hurt a whole hell of a lot less. That pain would have been temporary.

What the hell was Frank thinking? Did he really think he was protecting her by keeping something so important from her? Did he think she was going to heal faster if she thought Wesley was no longer a threat?

The thing that killed her was that deep down, she knew that he'd only lied to her because he loved her so much. Love could make people do things they wouldn't normally do. If she really took the time to look at it, she would have done the same thing for him. And the rational part of her brain was telling her to just let it go.

However, the stubborn three-year-old part of her brain wanted her to lash out at him, stomp her feet, and cry.

And the way it was looking at the moment, that part of her brain was going to win.

Bringing up the wine glass to her mouth, she let out a frustrated sigh as she saw it was empty. Reaching for the bottle of Moscato, she emptied the rest of the contents into her glass and took a big gulp. No, alcohol wasn't the best idea, considering she was barely hanging on as it was, but it sure did help to numb the pain.

All she wanted was for the pain to go away.

Was that really so much to ask for?

Letting out another sigh, Nancy leaned her head back against the couch cushion, closing her eyes. More than anything, she wished today had never happened. She would give anything for the last few hours to be nothing more than a nightmare.

It really was too bad that wishes didn't come true.

Her eyes popped open when she heard the sound of a key scraping in the lock before the door was flung open to reveal Frank, Joe following on his heels.

"Nancy! Why the hell haven't you been answering your phone?" Frank demanded as he stormed across the room, stopping in front of the couch. "I must have called you a hundred times!"

Nancy drained the last of her wine and slammed the glass down on the table as she glared up at him. "Actually, it was sixty-six times, but who's counting?"

"Why didn't you pick up?" Frank demanded, his brown eyes flashing angrily. "I was worried sick about you!"

"Really?" Nancy asked, feigning shock. "Is there a reason for you to be worried about me, Frank? I mean, any more than usual?"

Don't you dare lie to me again, Frank. This is your time to come clean…

Frank opened his mouth to say something, but apparently changed his mind. All of a sudden, he seemed to deflate as he sunk onto the couch beside her. He leaned forward and put his hands in his face, shaking his head back and forth.

"I'm sorry, Nan…" Frank said, softly. "I am so damn sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Nancy asked, still pretending as if she didn't know. She wanted to hear him say it. She wanted him to admit what he'd done.

"I should have told you from the beginning."

Joe rolled his eyes as he moved around to sit in the chair across from them. "Just spit it out already, Frank. She already knows—she just wants to hear to say it."

Frank looked sharply at Nancy. "You know?"

"Why don't you tell me what it is you think I know, Frank?" Nancy said, not cutting him any slack. She didn't miss the way Joe's body shook as he chuckled silently.

Turning to face her completely, Frank took her hands in his, holding onto them tightly. "The night that we rescued you, I wasn't completely honest about what happened to Wesley."

Nancy kept her face expressionless as she waited for him to continue.

"Before we found you in the basement, Joe and I confronted Wesley and left him tied up after I knocked him unconscious. He never should have woken up before we got back upstairs, and even if he did, he never should have managed to free himself from the ropes." Frank shook his head in frustration. "By the time we were carrying you upstairs, he was gone."

"Gone?" Nancy repeated.

Frank nodded. "The police spent the next few hours canvassing the entire neighborhood, but there was no sign of him. He was nowhere to be found."

"And he still hasn't been found?"

"No." Frank brought her hands up to his mouth and kissed them. "Words cannot express how sorry I am, Nan. I know I should have told you the truth from the beginning."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I was so scared that it would push you further away from me. And I couldn't handle that, Nancy. I couldn't bear to see you in pain for another second."

Nancy sat there staring at him for a few long moments, her emotions warring inside her—anger, frustration, gratitude, admiration, and love. They were all combating for the top spot, but she wasn't sure which would come out on top.

Joe cleared his throat, startling the both of them. "Nancy, the blame can't fall entirely on Frank's shoulders. I'm as much to blame as he is. We really thought we were doing the right thing by keeping it from you."

"It wasn't your decision to make," Nancy said coldly.

"Maybe it wasn't," Joe agreed. "But if I had to go back and do it again, I would have. You were barely a functioning human being, Nance. Hell, you're still not even close to being who you once were, and it's been three months."

Nancy felt anger rush through her veins as she jerked her hands away from Frank and stood up, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "How the hell would you know, Joe? You're barely spoken to me since I got home from the hospital. To actually get you to come over here was like pulling teeth!"

Joe stood up and closed the distance between them, towering over her by a few inches. "Do you honestly want to know what I didn't want to come here?"

"A little honesty would be a nice change around here."

"I couldn't stand to be around you, Nancy. Every time I would look at you, I would feel nothing but pity," Joe said.

"Why don't you tell me how you really feel about me?"

"It was like you were no longer than human, Nan," Joe continued, softening his voice a bit. "Every move you made, it was like you were programmed to do it, like some kind of robot. You were detached, emotionless…pretty much a zombie."

Nancy felt tears spring to her eyes, but somehow, she managed to push them down. She needed to hear this. No matter how much it hurt, she knew she needed to hear this.

Joe took a step closer to her, taking her hands in his. "I can't even begin to imagine what you went through, Nancy. I won't even pretend to understand. You went through hell, there's no denying that. But to see you and be around you when you got back, it hurt too much. It wasn't the way I was accustomed to seeing you."

This time, Nancy didn't stop the tears as they trailed down her cheeks. "I needed you, Joe. You're like a brother to me, and I needed you. I'm sorry for acting the way I did, but even as much as it hurt you to see me like that, it hurt me just as much not to have you around." Nancy choked on a sob as she peered up at him. "I've missed you so much…"

"Oh, Nan…please don't cry." Joe enveloped her in a hug, holding onto her tightly. Nancy clutched onto him as if her very life depended on it, relishing in the comfort his embrace offered her. "Can you ever forgive me for being such an ass?"

"Can you forgive me for being a zombie?" Nancy asked, barking out a laugh.

"Sure," Joe said, rocking her back and forth before pulling away. "Besides, if you really think about it, zombies are pretty cool. It's all the rage right now."

Nancy flashed him a watery smile. "I know you're still secretly hoping for the day a zombie case comes across our desks."

"You have to admit, it would be kind of cool," Joe replied with a smile of his own.

"Maybe…" Taking a deep breath to regain control of her emotions, Nancy pulled away from Joe completely and turned to face both of the brothers, stumbling slightly.

Frank rushed forward to catch her. "Are you okay?"

Nancy nodded, feeling slightly lightheaded. "I may have had a little too much to drink tonight." She swatted Frank's hand away as she righted herself. "So, do either of you mind telling me why you burst through our door in a panic?"

Frank and Joe exchanged an uneasy glance with each other.

"No, absolutely not," Nancy said, shaking her head. "No more secrets."

Letting out an exasperated breath, Frank ran his hands through his hair. A trait Nancy knew he did when he was nervous. "I got a phone call from Wesley."

Nancy felt the color drain from her face as she stared at Frank in fear. "What?"

Frank quickly rushed forward and scooped her up into his arms. "It's okay, Nan. I'm not going to let that bastard anywhere near you."

"What did he say?" Nancy pressed herself further against Frank's chest, feeling safe and comforted by his touch.

"He was mostly just screwing with me. He made me think he was close to you, that he was about to take you again." His grip tightened on her when she stiffened against him. "What is it, Nan?"

Reluctantly pulling herself away from Frank, Nancy quickly made her way to their bedroom, only to return moments later with the box that was left for her earlier.

"What is that?" Joe asked, frowning.

Nancy handed it to Joe. "Take a look."

Frank stepped closer to them as Joe opened the box and spilled the contents on the coffee table. Joe picked up the preserved spider while Frank swiped up the note. Nancy didn't miss the way his expression darkened as he read Wesley's words.

"That was waiting for me when I got back from the doctor today," Nancy said, hugging herself tightly as she remembered the fear she felt when she opened the gift.

"What do you mean it was waiting for you?" Frank asked, handing the note to Joe.

Nancy looked up at Frank, unblinking. "It was on our bed."

It was now Frank's turn to turn pale. "What?"

"It was waiting for me when I got home," Nancy said with a shrug. "At first, I thought it was a gift from you. I've already talked to security and they let me look at the video. Wesley managed to knock out a maintenance man and steal his uniform, along with his master keys. That's how he was able to get inside."

"Did you call the police?" Joe asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because they would most likely just laugh at me and tell me I'm still too traumatized," Nancy answered. "It's how I found out you were lying about Wesley being in jail. I didn't answer the phone because I was too angry at the time."

"We're sorry for keeping it from you, Nan. You have to believe me," Frank pleaded, taking her up in his arms once again.

Nancy hugged him back, closing her eyes. "I do believe you, Frank. Just promise me there will be no more secrets."

"You have my word."

Letting out a huge yawn, Nancy hugged him tighter. "Thank you."

Joe returned the note and the spider to the box. "And on that note, I think I should head back home. I promised Vanessa to take her out to dinner tonight and she'll kill me if I'm late."

"Tell her I said hi," Nancy said, flashing him a small smile.

"I will." With one final wave, Joe turned and exited the apartment, leaving them alone.

"Are you hungry?" Frank asked, peering down at her as soon as the door shut behind Joe.

Nancy shook her head. "I just want to lie down with you."

"I would like that, too." Frank let go of her, only to take her face between his hands. "I really am sorry for keeping Wesley a secret from you."

"It's okay, Frank," Nancy said, softly pressing a kiss against his lips. "I don't want to fight anymore…"

Frank returned the kiss, softly at first before it grew more intense, almost as if he couldn't get enough of her as his tongue probed deeper into her mouth. Finally, he pulled away, both of them breathless. "What do you want to do, Nan?" Frank asked, his voice husky.

Nancy didn't even have to think about it. She knew what she wanted from Frank. It had been so long since they'd been together. Maybe it was partly due to the alcohol, but all of a sudden, she wanted him.

All of him.

"Take me to the bedroom, Frank…"

Frank didn't hesitate as he picked her up, kissing her as she wrapped her legs around his waist, holding onto him tightly as he carried her to their bedroom. Their lips never broke apart even as he laid her gently down on the bed, his body covering hers completely. Nancy couldn't help but think about how they fit together perfectly, like puzzle pieces.

The kissing grew more intense, their hands traveling over each other's bodies as if by their own volition. Soon, kissing wasn't enough—Nancy wanted to feel his naked body against hers. She wanted the two of them to become one.

Moving her hands down until she found the hem of his shirt, she pulled it up. Frank quickly got the message she was sending and helped her pull it up over his head. As their lips crashed against each other again, Frank tugged at her shirt and pulled it off in one fluid motion.

He broke away from her, his eyes glazed over with passion as he stared down at her. "Are you sure about this, Nan?"

"Yes…" Nancy said softly, desperately needing him to touch her again.

It was all that Frank needed to hear.

Soon, the rest of their clothes joined the shirts, nothing existing in the world except the two of them and the love they shared for each other.


"So, were you and Joe really investigating an insurance fraud case?" Nancy asked, tracing a heart on Frank's bare chest. She looked up at him, her eyes still glowing from their lovemaking.

Frank pulled her closer to his body, wanting her even closer to him. It was the first time they had really been together in three months. He was afraid if he let her go, it would have been nothing more than a dream. For the first time in a while, Nancy seemed more like her old self and it wasn't until that moment that he realized how much he missed her.

It was such a relief to come clean with her about Wesley. Now that she knew he was out there, she would be more wary of her surroundings. They both could be a little more cautious and he could protect her without having to lie to her about it.

Even though he promised her there would be no more secrets, he was hesitant to tell her about Ella's disappearance. He was afraid of what it would do to her, knowing that Wesley was still out there, inflicting terror upon innocent victims. He knew she would blame herself and carry the guilt around with her—he didn't want to witness that, especially when it wasn't her fault to begin with.

Nancy was a victim just as much as Ella now was.

"Frank?"

Frank glanced down at her as he ran his fingers softly through her hair. "We went to Madison to investigate a young woman's disappearance."

Nancy propped up on her elbow, her blue eyes wide. "Wesley?"

"It looks like he's responsible," Frank admitted. "We talked to the girl's friends and they said that she was meeting a man she had met on the Internet. After they described him, I showed them a picture of Wesley and they confirmed it was him."

"He's not going to stop," Nancy said as she lowered herself back down on the bed, laying her head on his chest.

"Nancy, I know what you're trying to do, and you can stop right now," Frank said, squeezing her shoulders. "This isn't your fault. You can't blame yourself. If anyone is to blame, then it's me."

"Frank, no…"

"I'm the one who let him get away," Frank admitted. "I never should have left him alone."

"You were worried about me."

"I could have let Joe go down by himself to save you."

Nancy turned her head to look up at him. "Would you have really done that?"

Frank looked down at her, smiling softly. There was no question he would have done the same thing again. Still, it did nothing to alleviate his own guilt. "I will always choose you, Nan. Every single time."

Leaning up, Nancy kissed him softly on the lips. "We'll figure this out, Frank."

"We will, Nan," Frank said, before returning the kiss. "I'm not going to let him have another shot at you. I swear with everything that I am, I will keep you safe."


So, I originally imagined the fight to be so much worse than it was, but once the characters started talking to me, it ended up like that. And I have to say, I like it a lot better. And we now have resolution amongst our favorite trio!

I was so overwhelmed by the reviews for the previous chapter…seriously, you guys are amazing! Lady Emily (Welcome back, my friend! Anytime that Frank can punch the bad guy in the face is considered a win to me!), Michelle Gallichio (I love writing Wesley…I am so glad you are enjoying him!), bhar (Welcome! And you may or may not get your wish about Wesley…we shall see!), SC15 (Wesley's plan for them shall be revealed soon…and it's gonna be creepy!), Guest (Updating as fast as I can!), Caranath (I was pretty tame, wasn't I? I'm gonna have to do something about that…), catlover1033 (I love your ridiculous review…never be afraid to ramble on and on. It just shows me how excited you are!), FreshKicks (Thank you so much! He's only going to get creepier!), MinecraftDanny (Yay, you're alive! And thank you for such a wonderful compliment…I am so humbled and flattered!), max2013 (So, I'm sensing that you think I'm evil…), dolphingirl7 (Thank you so much! I'm glad you like my stories!), Xdaisy chainX (Thank you for your kind words! I really enjoyed that scene between Frank and Wesley myself!), Cupcake (Wesley is definitely not blond…I tend to gravitate towards dark hair, myself. Could explain why I love Frank so much!), and Jabba1 (Thank you so much! Glad you're enjoying it!)

Seriously, do you know how much I love you guys?

I apologize for any mistakes and let me know what you think!